sports from a african american viewpoint

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton- F-1 Champion-AGAIN

Lewis Hamilton Formula One Champion-AGAIN
By Gary Norris Gray BASN Staff Reporter
OAKLAND, CA.—
Could Mr. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton be vying for his third World Championship in 2015? He is considered the best driver on the Formula One Circuit today. This year he has already won three of the four races and came in second place in the Malaysian Grand Prix two weeks ago. This weekend they will race in Spain.

Hamilton is often labeled “the first black driver in Formula One”, although Willy T. Ribbs tested a Formula One car in 1986. He is also the first driver of black African heritage to win a major race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in any discipline

In 2014 Hamilton won his second individual championship with 11 first place, three-second place, and two-third place finishes and doubled with the World Championship with his new teammate Nico Rosberg from Germany who won five races and came in second place 10 times. The 2014 Mercedes Benz Team were unstoppable.

The Mercedes Benz second team finished third on the world tour in 2014 and are hot on the trail of the number one Benz team of Hamilton- Rosberg in 2015.

Lewis Hamilton’s parents separated when he was two, as a result of this he lived with his mother and half-sisters Nicola and Samantha until he was twelve, when he started living with his father, stepmother Linda and half-brother Nicolas, who has cerebral palsy.
The Hamilton’s are immigrants from Grenada who moved to the United Kingdom in the 1950’s.

His father Anthony Hamilton gave Lewis a remote control car to race. He entered races all over the country and won. Then he wanted the real thing, so his father bought him a go cart to race at the age of six and he exceeded all expectations winning again.

Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. In December 1995, at the age of ten, he approached McLaren team principal Ron Dennis at the Auto-sport Awards ceremony and told him, “I want to race for you one day … I want to race for McLaren.” Less than three years later McLaren and Mercedes- Benz signed him to their Young Driver Support Programme.

Hamilton knew he wanted to race for The McLaren Motor Sports Team. It took only three years before the team signed the eager youngster to the Young Drivers Support Program. Lewis stayed with the McLaren Team until 2013 where he gathered many records. He had the most podium finishes (9) from the Australian Grand Prix to the British Grand Prix. Lewis is the youngest drive to lead the World Championship at 22 years old. In 2007 Hamilton was the Rookie of The Year.

Father Anthony Hamilton became his coach and manager until March 2010.

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton – Formula One Champion seven years ago received cheers and jeers from the Spanish racing crowd. The 2007-2008 racial episodes made Hamilton a better driver and garnered him his second World Championship in 2014.

After winning the British Formula Renault, Formula Three Euro-series, and GP2championships on his way up the racing career ladder, he drove for McLaren in 2007, making his Formula One debut 12 years after his initial encounter with Dennis. Hamilton’s contract for the McLaren driver development program made him the youngest ever driver to secure a contract which later resulted in a Formula One drive.

In 2008, The Monkey chants, banana throwing, and disrespect for his great driving abilities are not as prominent on the European tracks these days because he won his second championship last year with the Mercedes Benz Motor team. Winning has the effect of shutting people down.

On 4 February 2008, Lewis was verbally heckled and abused during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Cataluña in Catalonia by several Spanish spectators who wore black face paint and black wigs, as well as shirts bearing the words “Hamilton’s family”. Hamilton ignored the crowd and finished in the top ten. In the 2014-15 season the abuse stopped. Winning can stop any criticism.

Hamilton became widely unpopular in Spain because of the rivalry with his former team-mate Spanish driver Fernando Alonso. The Federation Internationale De L’Automobile (FIA) warned Spanish authorities about the repetition of such behavior. In reaction to this behavior, F.I.A. announced in February 2008 the creation of a “Race Against Racism” campaign. The Campaign has done well the past seven years attracting more potential Black drivers to the sport much to the dismay of the Spanish contingent.

Hamilton won his first World Championship in 2008 and has 16 other victories to his record. He won 18 pole positions which made it a lot easier for him to race on street tracks.

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is a BAD MAN!!!!

The Gray Leopard Cove wishes continued success to Brother Lewis Hamilton in 2015.